Until now, techniques of mounting sample-chamber-lid opening-closing detecting means on a sample chamber or a sample-chamber lid of a spectrophotometer, and using the same have been known in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3.
The spectrophotometer disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a method of providing sample-chamber lid opening-closing detecting means to a lid of a sample chamber to let light flux enter the sample chamber and block such light flux entering the sample chamber. This method targets a spectrophotometer using a deuterium lamp and a tungsten lamp as its light sources. The heat-generation amounts of the deuterium lamp and tungsten lamp are high. Thus, when the light source is once turned off, time is required to stabilize the light source. Therefore, according to this patent, the light source itself is not turned off and a slit plate or a light source mirror blocks light flux from the light source. Accordingly, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not contribute to increasing of usable period of the light source and reducing in power consumption of an apparatus.
The nucleic acid detecting apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes closing lid means that closes a lid of a detecting container and means for amplifying and detecting target nucleic acid in the closed detecting container after dispensing of a reagent and a sample. According to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, after the lid is closed, a pre-process of amplifying a target gene by gene amplification reaction is performed and thus the measurement is not started by closing the lid. This is because the act of closing the lid is aimed for preventing contamination of the sample. Therefore, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, increase of usable period and reduction in power consumption of an apparatus are not considered.
The spectrophotometer disclosed in Patent Document 3 is characterized in providing detecting means capable of detecting whether a sample is set at a sample-setting place of a sample chamber and another detecting means capable of detecting opening and closing of the sample chamber, and automatically acquiring background data in a state in which the sample chamber is closed and in a state in which a sample is not set. However, as the technique disclosed in Patent Document 3 does not include a technique of controlling opening and closing of a lid of the sample chamber and controlling turning on and off of a light source. Thus, the Patent Document 3 does not contribute to increasing of usable period and reducing in power consumption of an apparatus.